The present invention relates to ventilation of structures, and more particularly, to a ventilation strip that can be easily and economically installed on the soffit of an existing structure to provide an attractive device for allowing entry of air at the eaves.
Residential homes and other buildings typically include an attic above the living area of the structure. It is well known by most homeowners that the attic must be adequately vented to lower summertime cooling costs and to reduce moisture buildup and condensation during the year. Homeowners and contractors typically install upper vents near in the roof for the purpose of allowing heat to flow out of the attic. Since the heat typically rises to the highest area of the attic, these top vents are typically placed near the apex of the roof. These top vents are typically ventilation strips or passive fans that are installed just below the apex of the roof. To achieve proper attic ventilation however, adequate ventilation areas must be placed in a low area of the attic to provide airflow up through the attic. To achieve this airflow, vents are typically installed in the soffit, or under eave area, of the building. Although many prior art soffit ventilation devices have been proposed, most of them are particularly suited to new construction, and do not provide an adequate apparatus for installing ventilation on existing structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,502 to Tamlyn, for example, describes a ventilation strip for a soffit made of two or more serially arranged boards that, when assembled, form a gap. The gap is closed by a vent strip having a U-shaped receptacle for gripping the soffit board on one side and an L-shaped bracket for latching over the wall veneer on the opposite side. This ventilation strip is particularly suited to veneer finished buildings and can be applied to a newly constructed building as long as a soffit board and veneer strip have been installed in the proper alignment with each other to accept the U-shaped receptacle and L-shaped bracket. In an existing building with the soffit board in place, it would be extremely difficult to cut the soffit board in a manner that it would accept the ventilation strip.
As a second example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,086 to Dunn describes a continuous vent in the form of a resilient trough that fits into a bevel in the center of the soffit. This patent describes a method that involves cutting two beveled ends a few inches apart and inserting the resilient apertured vent in the space between the bevels. Although the ventilation device of this patent is very simple, the beveled cuts are much more appropriate for new construction, as the soffit board can be handled and cut on a working surface and then lifted into place under the eaves. It would be very challenging to cut the two beveled edges in an existing soffit, with the work surface overhead and the need to make the beveled cuts exactly parallel to each other. This is especially beyond the capabilities of the average homeowner.
What is needed therefore is an under eave ventilation device and method that can be easily applied to improve the attic ventilation in a structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved soffit vent for improving the ventilation through an attic. It is also an object to provide a simplified method for installing a soffit vent on a structure for the purpose of improving the ventilation within the attic.
According to the present invention, there is provided an improved ventilation strip for providing a soffit vent on a building. The ventilation strip includes an elongated perforated panel having a substantially planar upper surface and flanges extending laterally there from. A lip is provided on the lower surface of the panel at each edge of the panel running longitudinally thereon. The flanges are of non-uniform cross section and include an upper and a lower surface. The flanges are thickest at the juncture with the panel and thinnest at their outer ends with the lower surface tapering upward from the juncture to the end.
Apertures may be provided in the flanges. The ventilation strip is operated by cutting a channel in the soffit of a structure, aligning the strip with the channel, and driving fasteners through the flanges to secure the strip to the soffit. Stucco reinforcement mesh may be secured across the flanges and the soffit and stucco spread thereon to complete the installation. In an alternative embodiment, the upper surface of the flanges may be provided with adhesive and a removable strip. The removable strip can be removed and the flanges pressed against the soffit to secure the ventilations strip to a soffit without the use of fasteners. The tapered edge of the flange enables the edges of the ventilation strip to blend easily with the soffit to create an attractive soffit vent thereon.